Lovin Child. And the little "Buddy tucker" suit
--that, too, sounded like Lovin Child. He must --
Bud certainly must have him up there with him!
Then Lovin Child was not drowned at all, but alive
and needing dig-in-the-muds.

" Bud's got him! Oh, Budhas got him, I know
he's got him!" she whispered over and over to her-
self in an ecstasy of hope. "My little Lovin Man!
He's up there right now with his Daddy Bud --"

A vague anger stirred faintly, flared, died almost,
flared again and burned steadily within her. Bud
had her Lovin Child! How did he come to have him,
then, unless he stole him? Stole him away, and let
her suffer all this while, believing her baby was dead
in the river!

"You devil!" she muttered, gritting her teeth
when that thought formed clearly in her mind.
"Oh, you devil, you! If you think you can get away
with a thing like that--You devil!"

-279-